Future Polybutyl Repair

Touch wood but my PB pipes have not leaked. I am posting this question as a proactive measure.

Assume that I develop a leak in a PB pipe in my home. I would like to "buy" sometime before calling in a plumber to replace the entire system with copper or PEX. Therefore, I would like to add a shut off valve or termination cap at the leak as a temporary fix. How do I do this?

In addition, is it possible as a long term fix to cut out the leak and then make the following connection PB-PEX-PB? What do I need?

PEX is SDR-9 and it's outer dimension is CTS, Polybutylene is CTS but is not SDR-9. The wall thickness of PEX is thicker than Polybutylene so the stiffener supplied with the sharkbites is not big enough to support the Polybutylene. That is why they do not have the rating.

They do work with the Polybutylene and I have never had one fail used on Polybutylene that I know about but I am still leary of using them inside a house with Polbutylene. If one failed under a trailer the damage would be limited to making mud pies. Inside a house????

Go to www.mobilehomerepair.com and you can click on articles and it will show you how to connect from Poly to Pex. There are specific fittings that transition from Poly to Pex. They come in several sizes with the appropriate crimp rings in each package( the crimp rings are different for Poly and Pex) once you convert to Pex you can add a cutoff valve or whatever pex fitting you need.

Go to www.mobilehomerepair.com and you can click on articles and it will show you how to connect from Poly to Pex. There are specific fittings that transition from Poly to Pex. They come in several sizes with the appropriate crimp rings in each package( the crimp rings are different for Poly and Pex) once you convert to Pex you can add a cutoff valve or whatever pex fitting you need.

I've used Qest fittings on a fair bit of PB and never had a compliant or a leak. That's without any insert. It works the same as a brass compression fitting on soft copper;, follow directions and don't over tighten nut.

You can buy a pocket crimper or close quarters crimper for under $40.00 for emergencys. I would keep a supply of PB to Pex fittings in the sizes of pipes in your house. This is for you to make repairs or if you call a plumber the one thing he might not have on his truck is these fittings. Once you do a couple of replacements you will see the PB to Pex is no big deal and is fast and easy.

You can buy a pocket crimper or close quarters crimper for under $40.00 for emergencys.

Click to expand...

You are talking about the crimp tool they sell on that popular on line auction site? The one that gets squeezed with vice-grips?

Oh Boy... I didn't even think of using that one...
Some tools are so beneath me....
make sure that you use a Go/No-Go Gauge in each crimp with that...
I have some real doubts about the repeatability of the crimping action with that thing...

I have not seen the one that uses vice-grips. This is a Close Quarters tool you put the crimp ring between two bars then tighten two bolts evenly to make the crimp. I have used it in places where the long handle crimp tool would not fit. I agree you should always use a go/no-go gauge no matter what your crimp tool is.